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Maar Sul (nation)
This article is about the Second Kingdom of Maar Sul. For other uses, see Maar Sul. | capital = Maar Sul City | notable cities = | region = North in the Land of the Living Shares borders with: *Second Age: **Verdane (north) *Third Age: **Libaterra (east) **Remon (west) **Scundia (south) *Fourth Age: *Scundia (southeast) *Trinity Gask (east) | languages = Common | races = Humans | ethnic groups = | demonym = Maar Sulais | religion = Various | allegiance = Grand Alliance (Third Age) ---- | factions = | government = Monarchy | head of state = King | leader1 = Geraden Aurelac (since Catastrophe) | head of government = | leader2 = | executive = SAVAGE | legislature = Chancellor's Council | judiciary = SAVAGE | ageoftga = | p1 = Verdane }} Maar Sul, also known as the Second Kingdom of Maar Sul, is a nation on the Northern Continent in the Fourth Age. It shares borders with Trinity Gask in the east, Scundia in the southeast and the Khitan Khanate in the west. Its capital is Maar Sul City, and it is presently ruled by King Geraden Aurelac from the House of Aurelac. The kingdom has a long and colorful history tracing back to the time of Ancient Maar Sul, and its founding by Kagetsu I marks the beginning of recorded history, which makes Maar Sul the oldest existing nation in the Land of the Living. History Origins : Main article: Ancient Maar Sul Second Age Revival of Maar Sul Kagetsu I, the King of the First Kingdom of Maar Sul, was released from his enchanted stone prison by the Andain Leon Alcibiates in the Second Age, and he slowly began recovering his strength. He aided various factions in conflicts such as the Manster Rebellion in order to gather enough allies to revive Maar Sul as the Second Kingdom and restore it to its former glory. He eventually reunited with Marya who had been waiting for him in the shadows all this time, and began putting his plans in motion after Yurius was defeated in the Manster Rebellion. During Arawn Losstarot's rise to power, Kagetsu was busy rebuilding Maar Sul on the sly within the borders of Verdane. Eventually Maar Sul rose to become a powerful nation in its own right, and Kagetsu and his council of Andain once again ruled the revived nation. They were on their toes because of Taliesin's presence, however: both Andain lords were powerful and neither wanted a direct conflict with the other at this point so they merely sabotaged each other's efforts every now and then in discreet ways and used an extensive network of spies. It was during this time that the Home Guard, led by Marya and Wister, became the precursor of what would eventually become known as SAVAGE. Arawn Losstarot War Maar Sul was forced to aid Arawn in the Arawn Losstarot War when Arawn kidnapped Kagetsu's wife Marya and held her hostage. However, this alliance was short-lived because the archmage Raistlin II rescued Marya and made Kagetsu and Maar Sul join the Grand Alliance in exchange for keeping Marya safe. However, these events caused dissension among the ranks of the Andain council, and Maar Sul lost many of its Andain supporters to Taliesin who opposed Kagetsu out of principle, which weakened the Alliance military in the process and gave Arawn an edge in the war. Eventually the armies of Arawn and the Grand Alliance had a decisive battle at Lea Monde. The duel between Kagetsu and Arawn caused a giant Explosion which ended the war. The Explosion claimed the lives of Kagetsu, Arawn, all of the living Andain and even a sizable chunk of the world's population and gave birth to Innate Abilities. Although the continents shifted and new nations were eventually formed, Maar Sul survived the catastrophe for the most part, and the damaged districts of the great capital were quickly rebuilt. Kagetsu's heirs, the mortal House of Aurelac who only retained a fraction of their ancestor's power, would become heads of state and carry on Kagetsu's legacy albeit via peaceful means while Home Guard was turned into SAVAGE to protect the kingdom's interests. Marya disappeared into the shadows after Kagetsu's demise and was presumed to have perished in the Explosion with her husband. Third Age Distreyd Era Yamatian Occupation Maar Sul lived in prosperity until it was conquered by the armies of Yamato and the Clergy of Mardük in a blitzkrieg war during the Yamatian Invasion in the Third Age. King Remy Aurelac and his three children--Princess Réin Aurelac and Princes Kagetsu II and Geraud Aurelac--fled from the city and began using guerrilla warfare while organizing a rebellion to drive the Yamatian invaders out. One of the Maar Sulais lords, Martin Struan, used the disarray to his advantage and staged a coup to become the new lord of Maar Sul with Yamatian backing. The first acts of his Struan Rebellion were to assassinate the Aurelacs, and this plan succeeded with Remy and Réin. However, Kagetsu II and Geraud managed to elude the assassins. Great War The Yamatians made Martin Struan the regent of Maar Sul. Struan's reign as a puppet king was short-lived, however, because the Great War enveloped the world only a few years after the Yamatian Invasion. The Grand Alliance infiltrated Maar Sul City after Remon had been liberated from Yamato's rule. Crown Prince Kagetsu II executed the treacherous Struan and was crowned the new king. The Yamatian occupiers were eventually driven out of the capital and later from the rest of the kingdom. Maar Sul then joined the Alliance's ranks and helped it and the Remonian forces liberate other countries which were still suffering under the Yamatian yoke. Kagetsu II, now King of Maar Sul, became one of the leading figures of the Grand Alliance alongside King Marcus Sarillius of Remon. However, Kagetsu II's reign came to a quick end because he died during the First Battle of Vulpengaard Keep. Kagetsu's younger brother, Prince Geraud, was no longer around to inherit the throne due to his sacrifice to become the Silverbranch Tree on the Isle of Yggdrasil, Geraud's son Geraden Aurelac had disappeared during the war, and Kagetsu's son Gerard Aurelac was too young to sit on the throne at the time. Thus Kagetsu's advisor and friend Leon Alcibiates was chosen to become the ruling Prince of Maar Sul and handle matters in the kingdom until Gerard would come of age and take the responsibility of the crown. Godslayer Era Proninist Invasion Maar Sul survived more or less intact from the Cataclysm which moved the continents together and ended the Great War between the Alliance and Yamato abruptly. Under Prince Leon's dministration, the kingdom stayed relatively peaceful for ten years apart from a few feuds between some noble families. Things changed in 1016 AE when Andrei Pronin's Proninist Party invaded Scundia and eventually took over most of Maar Sul's cities. It was around this time that Leon stepped down from the throne and crowned Gerard Aurelac as the new King of Maar Sul despite Gerard being only 13 at the time. The Proninists attacked Maar Sul City some time after Gerard's coronation, but they were driven back once Gerard succeeded in his daring plan to capture Andrei Pronin. The Grand Alliance entered the city later to reinforce nearby areas and drive out the Pronininst menace from Maar Sulais soil. The grateful Maar Sulais eagerly joined forces with their old Alliance comrades, becoming members of the new Grand Alliance just as they had been in the past. The Proninists allied with other dissidents around the same time, however, and formed the Crimson Coalition to oppose the Grand Alliance's growing power. The war between the Alliance and the Coalition is still ongoing on Maar Sulais soil. Maar Sul City has also had a devastating gang war between the Nightstalkers and the Matheson Crime Family. Rise of the True Aurelac Recently a new player had entered the Maar Sulais political field: Geraden Aurelac, Prince Geraud Aurelac's son and King Gerard's cousin, who was thought to have perished after the Yamatian Invasion, has emerged from the shadows and is now gathering his True Aurelac army in Port Dunross to take over Maar Sul City by force from Gerard whom he considers an incompetent weakling not fit to rule the proud nation of Maar Sul. He has been mentored by none other than Marya Aurelac herself who wishes that Geraden will restore Maar Sul to its former glory like it had once been during Kagetsu I's time. Busy with the war against the Magicracy of Alent and aware of Geraden's ambitions and how a future Maar Sulais conflict will benefit it in the long run, the Coalition decided to withdraw its Proninist forces gradually from Eastern Maar Sul while leaving only a few garrisons behind in some western Maar Sulais cities and Scundia. Geraden's forces keep strengthening their presence around Port Dunross, and a civil war in Maar Sul between the Aurelac cousins seems inevitable although the Loyalists are still unaware of Geraden's resurgence. Geography :See: Maar Sul Map (Distreyd Era), World Map (Godslayer Era) In the Third Age, Maar Sul is located far to the north in the Land of the Living. Borders are shared with Remon (southwest), Scundia (southeast), Libaterra (east) and the Khitan Khanate (north). The climate of Maar Sul varies greatly depending on the time of year. While the winters can be quite harsh, the summers are very warm. The desert of Scundia (located south of Maar Sul) stays warm throughout the winter, but few people from mainland Maar Sul bother to go to the desert. They prefer to leave the Scuns in peace. Demographics Overview The kingdom is ruled from Maar Sul City by the House of Aurelac who are direct descendants of Kagetsu I, the founder and first King of Maar Sul. Many languages are spoken in the kingdom, although all official correspondence and commerce must be conducted in Common by law. The horse-riding Khitans wander in the northeastern grasslands although more and more of them are settling into the large encampment/town called Kara Khitai and are led by the Khan. The seat of power for the overall area is in Maar Sul City which is ruled by King Gerard Aurelac. The Proninist Party has recently managed to invade some regions of the land, and the Party is currently in a stalemate with Maar Sul. The army of the Grand Alliance has marched from Remon to help Maar Sul, and the armies are currently trying to liberate various Maar Sulais cities from the Proninist Party which has recently joined forces with the Crimson Coalition. Peoples :See: Peoples Owing to its extreme age and global role in the past and the present, Maar Sul is a home to a vast array of people, and the kingdom's capital is the melting pot of many of these distinct cultures. Some of the well known concentrations of ethnic groups are in Kara Khitai, Port Dunross and Victoire. Maar Sul City :See: Maar Sul (city) Maar Sul City, sometimes called just "The City", acts as the kingdom's capital and is also the biggest city in the kingdom with a diverse population. It is ruled by the House of Aurelac from the Citadel which is located in the city centre. Culture Overview Maar Sul is self-sufficient but far from wealthy. Although the cities acknowledge Maar Sul City as the capital of the kingdom, they are nevertheless semi-autonomous, and thus it can be said that the kingdom of Maar Sul is divided into various city-states who pledge loyalty to the crown. Owing to its extreme age, the kingdom is the home to a vast array of people, and many languages are spoken therein, although all official correspondence and commerce must be conducted in Common by law. The kingdom also employs a system of mandatory standardized education for citizens aged 6-16. Several post-secondary colleges of arts and magic exist in most major cities as well as military academies. One of the more notable ethnic minorities in the kingdom are the mostly nomadic, horse-riding Khitans who live in their autonomous area, the Khitan Khanate, which is located in Northern Maar Sul. After the Cataclysm, the Khitans have built a larger encampment in the heart of their territory and call it Kara Khitai. The khanate is presently ruled by Alghu Khan. Armor and Emblems Maar Sulais knights often wear armor or clothing with a mix of black and gold. The colours signify their loyalty to the House of Aurelac which uses the same colours in their coats of arms. The flag of Maar Sul follows a similar pattern, having a golden phoenix on a field of black as it is based on the ancient crest of the first Maar Sulais king, Kagetsu I. National Anthem Maar Sul's anthem is called "Glory Reborn". Nomenclature Noble families are referred to as Houses by the Maar Sulais, even if they are foreign nobility. For example, a Maar Sulais would refer to the Mallorein Clan as "House Mallorein." Maar Sulais influence on Scundia has caused Scuns to refer to all foreign nobility as Clans after this style. The typical way for a Maar Sulais noble to refer to himself or herself is "(FirstName) (LastName) de (Hometown)." Hence Gerard Aurelac de Maar Sul means that Gerard is of the family Aurelac, and is from Maar Sul City. Leon Alcibiates, upon his appointment as Prince Coronate, began styling himself as "d'Yggdrasil" after his rebirth into mortal form on the Isle of Yggdrasil (the original). Politics Monarchy :See: House of Aurelac The House of Aurelac is descended from Kagetsu I, the founder of the Kingdom of Maar Sul. They have ruled over Maar Sul City and thus the kingdom of Maar Sul and its somewhat autonomous cities for generations since the Explosion with few breaks in between, the most notable absence taking place during Martin Struan's reign between the Yamatian Invasion and the Great War and the decade-long regency of Prince Leon Alcibiates until the present King Gerard Aurelac came of age. List of Rulers The list below is incomplete and includes only the most notable sovereigns from both the House of Aurelac as well as sovereigns who have ruled in the Aurelacs' name for various reasons. *King Kagetsu I - founder of Maar Sul, died in the Explosion *King Remy Aurelac - reigned ???–1003 AE *Lord Protector Martin Struan - reigned 1003–1004 AE *King Kagetsu II - reigned 1004–1006 AE *Prince Leon Alcibiates - reigned 1006–1017 AE *King Gerard Aurelac - current monarch since 1017 AE Nobility The oldest noble families in Maar Sul can trace their ancestry to the Andain lords who were close to Kagetsu I whereas the newer, lesser houses don't have such connections. Several notable houses, both noble and merchant-based, have risen to power over the centuries, cementing their place in Maar Sulais politics and in various cities on the countryside. The nobles have great privileges as they rule over their cities essentially as city-states although ultimately all families have sworn an oath of loyalty to the king of Maar Sul. The king has the right to revoke a noble status from a family with a good enough reason as was the case with the House of Struan after Martin Struan failed coup to take over the throne of Maar Sul. List of Houses Known houses in the Third Age were: Military Armed Forces Maar Sul is militarily very strong owing to a large number of well-trained and equipped knights who are fanatically loyal to the House of Aurelac. The Maar Sulais cavalry is a very strong and cohesive unit, led by skilled veterans from the Great War. Maar Sul's navy was decimated in the Great War and in the disasters caused by the Cataclysm and has not recovered much as Maar Sulais make poor sailors. SAVAGE :See: SAVAGE The kingdom's elite military corps is called SAVAGE and has its roots on the Maar Sulais Home Guard of old. It has several branches which specialize in different fields such as counterintelligence, propaganda and rescue missions. Foreign Relations Maar Sul has always had good relations with Remon. The two nations have been instrumental in helping each other during the time of troubles and have been the core nations of the Third Age's incarnations of the Grand Alliance. Until the Proninist invasion, Maar Sul tolerated and viewed Scundia as an ally. Maar Sul and Khasra III's Scun Loyalists are still on good terms, and Maar Sul has vowed to do anything in its power to liberate Scundia from Proninists. Maar Sul views Libaterra and Yamato with hostility thanks to the threats posed by the Crimson Coalition and the Yamato Empire and later the demon hordes. Maar Sul initially was on good terms with Aison until the Grey Cult's rise to power. When the role of High Prophet Xerathas d'Zarnagon in the kidnapping of King Gerard Aurelac was revealed, Maar Sul has become viewing Aison with even more suspicion than before. See also *Ancient Maar Sul *Battle of Maar Sul *Grand Alliance *Khitan Khanate *Maar Sul Map (Distreyd Era) *Maar Sul Gang War *Matheson Crime Family *SAVAGE *Struan Rebellion *True Aurelac *World Map (Godslayer Era) Category:Grand Alliance * * Category:Second Age nations Category:Third Age nations Category:True Aurelac Category:Fourth Age nations